How to Become Better at Gift Giving

Some people dread occasions that are marked with gift giving. I have seen firsthand the stress, anxiety and even panic that are felt when trying but failing to come up with ideas, but personally I’ve always had a love of gift giving. 

Our elementary school had the fourth graders run a mini boutique called the Jingle Bell Shop just before the holidays each year. The teachers ordered actual merchandise for them to sell at a discounted rate to the younger students in the school. It was a fun way to teach the fourth graders about money, the economy and working while giving younger students a chance to buy Christmas gifts for their families (or toys for themselves as many often did). 

We walked through the shop as a class murmuring excitedly about each item that caught our fancy. From the little pillows that said #1 Grandma to the mugs proclaiming Best Parent Ever, my young heart leapt with anticipation at buying gifts for my family. 

That excitement has never faded for me. Few things in life make me happier than shopping for the perfect present for a loved one. And as it turns out, I have a knack for it.

Over the years, people have come to me for help with gift ideas. Family, friends and even coworkers request my assistance shopping for presents. Repeatedly I’ve been told I have a rare talent for gift giving. And for a while, I took this in stride. 

But the more I helped people with their gifting, the more certain I became that I do not merely have an innate talent for gift giving. I created a tried and true process to ensure that the presents I give are always excellent–meaning it’s replicable and anyone can learn how to do it!

I am so excited to share that process with you today! From now on when you are choosing a gift for someone, stop and ask yourself:

Does it “PASS” the GiftEd test? 

Gifts PASS if they fit into one of these four categories: 

Practical 

Asked For 

Sentimental 

Something Fun

Let’s break those categories down a little further for clarity. 

Practical items would be anything the person needs or that can elevate their life in a pragmatic way. Clothes, tools, luggage, and other utility items often fall into this category. 

Asked For items are exactly what it sounds like: something your recipient has specifically asked for! Maybe they made a wish list, a registry, or just casually mentioned something they are wanting. Any of those things would fit into “Asked For”. 

Sentimental gifts are the ones that tug at your heart strings. They can play on a memory, a mutual affection, or even an inside joke. Handmade and personalized gifts are most likely to fit into this category, though there are many items you can buy that would also belong here! 

And last but not least, Something Fun! These gifts could be toys, trips or experiences, games and more. Anything that you would be gifting purely for the recipient to enjoy.

And there you have it! Once you have a gift picked out, think about your recipient and then think through these four categories. FOR THAT SPECIFIC PERSON, would this gift be Practical? Did they ask for it? Would it mean something to them sentimentally? Or would it be something fun for them to enjoy? 

It’s that simple! If your gift passes this GiftEd test, breathe easy knowing you picked a great present. If it doesn’t, maybe try browsing through one of my gift guides to spark a new idea.

Again, an important thing to consider is that gifts are not a one-size-fits-all. A gift that would be practical for you might not be something your spouse needs, or a sentimental gift you would love might not mean much to your father-in-law. 

The golden rule of gift giving is to treat others the way they want to be treated, NOT the way you want to be treated. You are not your own recipient, so make sure you’re considering the person you’re gifting to when checking to see if a present passes the GiftEd test. 

The Secret to Giving Excellent Gifts

And the creme de la creme, the secret sauce, the extra cherry on top to level up a great gift to an excellent gift is to find something that checks multiple category boxes for your giftee! 

The more of the four PASS categories that a gift fits, the better. If you are able to find a practical gift that is also sentimental and something fun, your recipient is going to love it. Or if the gift is something they asked for, but it’s also sentimental, that is a winner for sure.

So as you are thinking about what to gift, try asking yourself some of these questions. 

1. What is something they need that could also be something fun? 
2. What is something they asked for that you could personalize?
3. Is there an activity or a trip you could do together that would be meaningful to them? 
4. Is there something fun they have already asked for? 
5. What is something they need you could add sentimental value to? 

These types of questions will help you come up with gift ideas that cover at least two, if not more, of the four PASS categories. 

I don’t want you to think that all of the gifts you give always cover multiple categories. Because large gifts and large gestures have a WOW factor of their own; presents that take a lot of time to make, a lot of money to buy, or a lot of effort to assemble might be purely sentimental or only something fun.

It is often the smaller gifts that will be better received if they cross multiple gifting categories. 

And that is my tried and true process for giving excellent gifts! I’d love to hear your takeaways in the comments.

Be sure to check out my Gift Guide for Men and my Gift Guide for Bath Lovers!

Now go out there and gift joyfully!❤️